INDUSTRY INSIGHT
EVEN THE BEST LEADERS IN THE WORLD MAKE MISTAKES, SO DON’ T BE AFRAID OF THEM. elements, or I was presenting the monthly results, I pretty much stayed silent. I never voiced my opinion, I never gave my thoughts, I never raised a concern. I sat there watching everyone else, thinking I didn’ t have anything useful to contribute.
Because my confidence was so low, I also didn’ t flourish in my leadership role. As a leader, you need to be able to contribute. Finance has access to so much data and resources that the business needs to hear from the finance leader. It was something I really had to work on.
Now, when I’ m training new and aspiring CFOs within start-ups, we tackle leadership and mindset before getting into other elements of the role. If you want to be a good leader, you need to have the confidence to add value to the business, to share your ideas, to give insight – all the things a CFO is expected to do. This isn’ t only about getting over the fear of presenting – it is more about confidence within yourself. Whether or not you’ ve already got that CFO role, you need to work now on your self-confidence.
If you have a growth mindset( meaning you believe you can grow your own abilities through dedication and hard work), as opposed to a fixed mindset( believing your abilities are set in stone), anything is possible. A growth mindset means you can learn from your mistakes, which you don’ t mind making, and you don’ t have to constantly prove that you are good enough at your role.
In her brilliant book, Mindset, which I recommend you read, Dr Carol S Dweck explains:“ Even in the growth mindset, failure can be a painful experience, but it doesn’ t define you. It’ s a problem to be faced, dealt with, and learned from”( Dweck, 2012). She goes on to explain how people with a fixed mindset can translate a failure to their identity, making them feel they are a failure rather than only that they
Methods I have personally used to help improve my confidence include:
• Taking stock of good feedback: I have a folder in my inbox called‘ Good feedback’, where I file exactly that – any good feedback I’ ve received. We are wired to remember the negative and constructive feedback, and we sometimes need to be reminded that we have skills and are good at our job. File any good feedback for those days when you need a confidence boost and a reminder of your strengths.
• Reflecting on experience and goals achieved: It’ s always worthwhile to look back and see how much you have learned throughout your career and the things you have accomplished.
• Keeping an eye on self-talk: As a starting point, notice when you put yourself down and talk negatively to yourself. That won’ t help your confidence levels. Recognising when you do this is a good start, and then reversing this self-talk will work wonders.
• Realising it’ s OK to make a mistake: Even the best leaders in the world make mistakes, so don’ t be afraid of them. Instead, view each one as a lesson – learning from a mistake can be more valuable than never making one.
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